Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Las Cruces

Las Cruces is in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Here is how to find your car, what you can be charged, and what to do if the tow looks wrong. Last checked 2026-10-17.

Storage fees grow every day. Get your car back as soon as you can, even if you plan to dispute the tow. Pay, keep every receipt, and fight the charges afterward.

Find who towed your car

Street parking or a police tow

In Las Cruces, call the Las Cruces Police Department non-emergency line to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

Apartment, store, or private lot

Read the tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It must show the tow company's name and phone number.

No sign, or you can't find it? The company must report the tow to police, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.

What they can charge

$100.00
Ceiling to tow a standard car from private property under New Mexico (statewide tariff, NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau) rates; your city may set its own
$10.00
New Mexico (statewide tariff, NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau) ceiling per day of storage, starting after 0 hours

These rates may have changed since this schedule was published. Schedules are often updated once a year, so check the official source before relying on them.

Other New Mexico (statewide tariff, NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau) maximums
ChargeMaximum
Administrative fee$35.00
After-hours or gate fee$50.00
Loaded mileage, miles 2-25 (per mile, Class A/B)$5.00
Loaded mileage, 26+ miles (per mile, Class A/B)$3.50
After-hours response (per hour, 5pm-8am)$15.00
Deadhead mileage (per mile, Class A/B)$3.50
Storage per day, Type 2 lot (fenced, lighted)$15.00
Storage per day, Type 3 lot (enclosed building)$20.00

The $100 hookup includes the first mile. Storage is $10 per day in a basic fenced lot and a full day may be billed for any part of a day. A $35 administrative charge plus documented actual costs and a fuel surcharge on mileage may be added. See the official New Mexico (statewide tariff, NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau) rates (opens in a new tab).

Statewide, the administrative fee to release a car from the tow company's lien cannot exceed $35.00.

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • The registered owner, the owner's agent or a lienholder can reclaim the car by paying just and reasonable charges and showing proof of ownership such as a title or current registration.
  • Towing companies must accept cash plus either credit card or check, and must post which forms of payment they take. They may accept more. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? With proof of ownership you can take personal property and ownership papers out of the car free of charge during normal business hours.

18.3.12.24(B)(2) NMAC; 18.3.12.7(F) NMAC; 18.3.12.24(D) NMAC; 18.3.12.24(B)(1) NMAC

Getting it back

  • For private-property tows, someone must be working at the office during normal business hours (eight hours between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays, excluding holidays) who can let you inspect the car and collect your property.
  • During normal or extended business hours the company must release the car as a matter of right. Releases outside those hours are optional and carry the tariffed after-hours delivery charge.
  • During normal business hours the company must let you inspect the car free of charge. Nothing in the rule lets a company make you sign away claims first.
  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: The tow company is responsible for safekeeping your car and its contents while in its custody. Photograph any damage or missing items before you leave the lot.

18.3.12.23(C)(1), 18.3.12.7(D) NMAC; 18.3.12.24(B)(2) NMAC; 18.3.12.24(B)(1) NMAC; 18.3.12.27(B) NMAC

How to dispute a tow

  1. Collect evidence. Photograph the lot entrances and any signs, keep every receipt, and write down times and names.
  2. Ask for an itemized invoice. State-approved maximums for a standard car (Class A/B truck) are $100 for hookup including the first mile, $5 per mile from mile 2 to 25 and $3.50 per mile after that. Companies may charge less, and the tariff bars charging above any listed item.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Go to court if needed. New Mexico has no quick bond-release process in the sources reviewed. You can sue in magistrate court for claims up to $10,000, and a court filing is the route to contest an unlawful tow or overcharge.
  5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. New Mexico has no separate small claims court. Magistrate courts hear civil money claims up to $10,000, not counting interest and costs. If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. For billing errors, your written dispute generally must reach the issuer within 60 days of the first bill showing the charge. Whether a tow charge qualifies is up to the issuer.

Deadlines to watch

Your car can be sold. After a written notice of the debt, the car cannot be sold until 10 days pass, a 20-day sale notice runs, and the car has been held 14 days (New Mexico plates) or 40 days (out-of-state or unfound registration).

The company must request owner records within three business days and mail a lien notice by certified mail within two business days of learning who owns the car. If it misses either deadline, it cannot collect storage charges.

New Mexico deadlines, counted from the law

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Las Cruces?

In Las Cruces, call the Las Cruces Police Department non-emergency line to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it. For a private tow, the tow company must report it to police, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.

How much can a tow company charge in Las Cruces?

For a standard passenger car towed from private property, the New Mexico (statewide tariff, NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau) ceiling is $100.00 for the tow and $10.00 per day for storage. Las Cruces may set its own lower limits, so ask the tow company for its rate sheet.

How long before a towed car is sold in New Mexico?

After a written notice of the debt, the car cannot be sold until 10 days pass, a 20-day sale notice runs, and the car has been held 14 days (New Mexico plates) or 40 days (out-of-state or unfound registration).

Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?

No storage fee may be charged if your car was stored less than 0 hours.

Not verified yet for Las Cruces

We only publish details we could confirm from an official source. These are still missing, so ask the agencies above:

  • Addresses and hours of the tow lots that hold police tows
  • An official online lookup for towed cars
  • City-specific documents needed to pick up a car
  • Local rules for someone else picking up your car
  • Local auction schedules for unclaimed cars

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.